The joy of Mixing

[salty]

So I mixed my first tank last night. It was only a 13 of 30% because thats all I could do with the gas on hand but its a start. The best part is I just figured out that I will be saving $120 a month in gas fills. After the first summer the expense of puting togther a mix wip and O2 analizer will be payed back, the following year will be a break even between gas and air top offs. Maybe with a slick presentation of theas numbers and the amazing savings Ill be able to get a compressor :) . Now I am realy feeling the itch to go out diving, I just need the weather to cooperate. And now for a question....I priced out UHP helium at 117 for a T bottle, what grade of He are other mixers using and what cost?

Ps: Oxygen Hackers Handbook= best thing I bought all year:D

[ericfine50]

Have fun - Were on LI are you located. Used to live in Bellmore, NY
Eric

[Uncle Pug]

salty once bubbled...
I priced out UHP helium at 117 for a T bottle, what grade of He are other mixers using and what cost?
I picked up a T of UHP yesterday.... I see by the invoice that I am paying $49.50.

If you are PP blending then you will need multiple Ts to form a bank or you will be giving back a lot of your gas to the supplier... and that will effectively double your gas price.

You need to factor in cylinder leases into your overall expense.

I pay $65 a year cylinder lease on one T of UHP and one T of ABO. Since I continuously blend I could suck a vacuum on them (I usually leave about 50psi just to keep the rodents out :D)

Now that works to justify a compressor!

[salty]

I live in Shoreham, your name looks familiar did you ever dive off the Jean Marie?

[ericfine50]

Salty,

No, eagles nest
Eric

[salty]

Uncle Pug:
I factored in all my costs, I figure 3-5 bottles of o2 should last me most of the year mixing 30% in my double's and stages and 50% for deco and a few tanks of O2. 2 bottles of He will give me enough to do Trimix for the number of dives that Im planning past 120, although I know Ill probly be using trimix below 100 if the deeper dives get blown out. I have been diveing 30% all year round. But for this year dives from to 120 to 140 Im planing 25/18 and for stuff to 180 20/30. Using theas mixes I should be able to lower the He bottles enough that it wont hurt too much. BTW I figured actual gas cost(with lease/delivery included) to be $.09 per cf of O2 and $.42 per cf of He. Bottle lease is 5.70 per bottle per month and is the lowest of three suppliers I contacted, the last supplier also said they would work with me on the deposit( $ 120 cash per bottle) by using a CC #. I think if I keep shoping I might be able to get the He for less but maybe not as good as a deal with the deposit.
Ron

on edit: Ill probly have the continus mixer built befor I get the compressor:)

[salty]

Eric:
Where abouts is Grafton? I use to live in Beverly, North of boston.

[MikeFerrara]

I pay $80 for a T of Zero grade. If they are out of Zero they give me UHP for the same price although I have paid as much as $120

I pay $10/month for rent on tanks from one company and I lease tanks for $100/5 years from another. I keep about 4 bottles of He on hand and 6 or 8 of O2. I have alot of money in gas.

The problem is that I am my best customer as most of it I use myself. I get bottles down to 500psi or so before I lose patience with them and turn them in.

Someday I'll set up for continuous mixing but I don't have the bank capacity right now all I have is an air bank and I can't get rid of it.

[ericfine50]

Small world! We (my fiance and I) justed moved from N. Beverly (Beverly COmmons, RT 1a). Grafton is in Central Mass.

Eric

[roakey]

Look around and see if you can find a gas supplier that "sells" you the bottles. Linweld out here in the West (http://www.linweld.com/) charges you a "deposit" of about $230 for a T bottle. For filling this bottle is swapped just like any other bottle and when you're turn it back in they give you a full refund.

So there's no lease money going down the drain, though the initial investment is high.

Roak

[salty]

Rokey:
That high inital investment is what Im trying to keep down. I like the fact that the supplier Im considering will work with me on the deposit. I was able to put togther a good wip for under $75 if I only have to carry a balance on a CC vs paying out $500 :bonk: in deposits it sounds good to me. The sales guy even mentioned limiting the total deposit to around 300-400.